Dr. Yinka Ayefele, the Chairman/CEO of Yinka Ayefele
Ltd, owners of Fresh FM 105.9, has reacted to a statement by Oyo State
Government which said that the Music House, Challenge, Ibadan, where the
radio station is located, was served a demolition notice because it
contravenes state planning laws.
According to Ayefele, the
building did not contravene any building law because it has the
necessary approvals from relevant government agencies. The government’s
statement, issued by the Commissioner for Information, Toye Arulogun,
said that the submitted building approval for Music House was actually
meant for an office complex and not a radio station, and so contravened
the Oyo State Physical Planning and Development Control laws, sections
30, 31 and 32 of the Oyo State Physical Planning and Urban Development
Law of 2012. According to Arulogun, the submitted approval from Music
House deviated from the approved plan which in effect makes the approval
null and void because deceitful information was given to the approving
authority and also deviation from the approval granted both in
construction and use.
The commissioner also stated that the
government received petitions subsequent upon three fatal accidents that
occurred around Music House in the last nine months, as the petitioners
urged the government to look at the physical structure of the
organization in relation to the dual carriage way which lends itself
easily to accidents. But in a swift reaction on Wednesday night,
Ayefele said blaming accidents on that road on Music House was
mischievous. Below is the press statement by Ayefele, published exactly
as issued: Our attention has been drawn to a purported press release
signed by Mr. Toye Arulogun, Commissioner for Information and Culture,
Oyo State where he said that the Music House Complex Contravenes
Planning laws and is responsible for three fatal accidents that occurred
on the road in the last nine months on which the government have
received petitions.
We want to make it clear that Music House
followed due process in the construction of the building and got
relevant approvals from state departments and agencies associated with
lands and buildings.
Saying that Music House Complex is
responsible for three accidents that occurred on the road in the last
nine months is just an attempt by the Commissioner to run away fromn
his shadow. How can a reasonable person say that? It is not news that
the Governor of the state himself said some politicians came to him to
demolish the Music House Complex because Ayefele is not in their camp
and he also sang against them.
We have the Governor on tape, so
the Commissioner should look for another excuse. We know it is the
Commissioner that is misinforming the Governor who we hold in a very
high esteem. The Commissioner has tried in the past to influence a
change in our programmes saying some of our analysts should be replaced.
We want the general public to know that Music House has not in any way
contravened any building plan law as the Commissioner has mischievously
said.
Music House has been in existence for almost 10 years and
we have all necessary documents backing the building from relevant
government agencies. Some questions we need to ask the Commissioner
are:
1. Why is the government collecting tenement rate from us when they know we contravened building plan law?
2. Why did the government approve the building plan when they know it will contravene the state housing law?
3. The Commissioner should tell us why the state is just realising that
the Music House building is the cause of accident along this road.
Perhaps it is also responsible for accidents on Ring road and other
parts of the state.
4. If we actually contravened the building
law, why did the Commissioner always send us press release for use on
behalf of the government.
5. The Commissioner has featured on
different programmes on our station and has commended us for our
professionalism same with the Governor who heaped praises on us when he
visited the station on October 6, 2016.
The Commissioner should look for another excuse and stop chasing shadows.
Signed: Dr. Yinka Ayefele Chairman/CEO Yinka Ayefele Ltd
0 Comments